Escaping the Cult
by narutogoddess
Summary: Cult AU: The Prestigious Hyuga Clan's extremist ways have kept their people alive for generations. They've brought in the Uchiha Clan along with children with no names. They pray everyday, their children are matched together in holy matrimony, the rules are never to be broken. But it's time for the Caged Birds to be free and join their ancestors in the afterlife.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"How can I help you, sweetheart?"

"My name is Tenten and I need to talk to whoever's in charge of the cult investigation."

The officer seated at the front desk looked up skeptically. "You're going to have to be a little more specific than "cult."'

Tenten's heart began to race. She was on a time limit. She only had so much time before the leaders of the organization noticed her absence. They were going to die. Everyone she loved was going to die if she didn't get these people to listen to her.

"Please, just let me talk to whoever's in charge." Tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes. "Please."

"Listen hun. I can't help you-"

"Then get me someone who can!"

"Woah, woah, woah. What's going on here?" asked another cop coming out of one of the offices.

The officer at the desk immediately perked up, "Good evening Detective Hatake. I wasn't aware you were still here."

"Had some paperwork to file," he answered. "Now, what can I help you with?"

Tenten did her best to explain to the Detective why she was standing in the middle of a police station in the middle of the night. "I—I need help. The compound I live in…everyone's going to die. Please. I need help."

"Come with me," he said. "Let's see what we can do."

Detective Kakashi Hatake wasn't in charge of the investigation, but he was well-versed in the cult he assumed Tenten was speaking of. Her long white gown gave her away. However, his partner, Tsunade was the real expert.

Tenten took a seat on the couch in Kakashi's office while he called his partner back into work. He had a feeling this conversation was going to be extremely important for the status of their investigation.

"How much longer do I have to wait?" she asked. "I think something bad is going to happen."

"Tsunade should be in momentarily. Is there anything you can tell me while we wait? Like who you are and how you got involved with the Caged Birds?"

"Is that what you're calling them?" Tenten almost laughed, "That name makes a lot of sense actually. My name is Tenten. I…For as long as I can remember I lived in the compound. I don't have parents, so they took me in."

The door to the office flew open to reveal a tall blond woman. She and Kakashi exchanged a few quick words, then Tsunade took out a pen and a pad of paper. She took a seat across from Tenten. "My name is Tsunade. Tenten, I understand you're on a bit of a time crunch. I promise you, we will do everything in our power to get you back to the compound in time, but we have a lot of questions for you and I need you to answer them to the best of your ability, okay?"

Tenten nodded. "Everyone's going to die at sunrise. Please. I don't know how police forces work outside of the compound, but you need to have people there. And doctors. And people to take in the refugees. It's bad. It's gotten really bad."

Kakashi stood up and exited the room.

"He's going to make sure there are people there to help, so don't worry about your friends," Tsunade said. "Let's get started, shall we?"

 **A/N: I don't know how far I'll get with this fic, but I was just hit with the idea of a cult AU today while in class and I needed to get this written down. Let me know what you think and if you want to read more!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

For as long as she could remember, the compound was her home. Everyday Tenten awoke at dawn and went out into the courtyard in her long, flowing white gown to greet the day in prayer. She got down on her knees in front of the holy tree and thanked the ancestors and the gods for everything she had. Quietly the other people that lived in her gated community would join her. Neji would kneel beside her to her right, Lee to her left, and Hinata next to Neji. Behind them, Sasuke and Sakura, and the rest of the Uchiha family took their places to pray. They prayed until the leaders of the clan and the elders were finished or until the first birds began to chirp. After prayer, the families would return to their homes for breakfast and their daily chores while the children were ushered off to school.

The average villager didn't do much with their days other than prayer and their daily chores, but the head household was bustling at all times of the day. The workers cooked, cleaned, and waited on every call of the royal family. The Hyuga children, along with the nameless children the head household took in, were educated in internal affairs, spirituality and religion, mathematics, science, and leadership.

The Uchiha family was much like the Hyuga family; prestigious and royal, but they were not in charge like the Hyuga's. They were the second highest ranking in the hierarchy that is their community. They were in charge of protection. A "police force" of sorts. Their education was the same as that of the Hyuga children, but instead of grooming them for ruling and carrying on the words of the ancestors, they were trained in law enforcement as well.

The villagers had so much love for their traditions and ways of life, but the most respected and loved tradition they have is the matchmaking ceremony. It is the one day a year everyone looks forward to. The girls dream for the day when it is their turn to stand in front of the entire community to be matched to the man they will spend the rest of their lives with. The boys do not dream for marriage, but their marriage marks the day they become men—the day they begin caring for and providing for a family of their own. Once the children turn sixteen, the elders are guided by the Gods and the ancestors to assign the couples. However, sometimes there are children that are not assigned a match, and have to wait for the next year to be married.

Tenten was sure that the ancestors were going to match her and Neji. They were both going to be sixteen by the time the matchmaking ceremony came around, and she loved him, so they just had to be matched. It was the only possible match in their age bracket that made sense. She couldn't be with Lee, he was her best friend, and they were both nameless children. Nameless children were never matched together, and the other children in their village that were going to be sixteen were commoners. Commoners were only matched with nameless or royal children during extenuating circumstances.

"All rise," spoke the village elders as they ended this morning's prayers. "Blessed be the tree, praise the ancestors, and forgive our sins Gods in heaven."

The community repeated the mantra and ended their prayer.

Tenten stood up and brushed the dirt off her white dress. She stretched to release the tension from kneeling on the hard ground for the last hour. She smiled at Lee.

"Wasn't that a great prayer today!?" Lee said. "I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the day!"

Tenten giggled, then looked toward Neji. He and Hinata were having a hushed conversation. That concerned her a little bit because they hardly ever talked to each other let alone whisper. Behind her, Sakura was giggling at something Sasuke whispered in her ear. They were only fifteen, but they were matched early to solve the growing conflict between the Uchiha clan and the Haruno clan. Their marriage forced the merchant family to finally follow the laws the police family enforced. Ever since they were married, they were annoyingly in love, but everyone was envious. Not all matches started off as strong as theirs.

"Tenten, Lee, Neji, Hinata."

Everyone immediately halted their conversations to acknowledge their next leader.

"Good morning father," Hinata spoke clearly.

"Yes, good morning uncle," Neji said.

Hiashi smiled down at the children he raised, "all of you report to the classroom. Your studies are scheduled to begin shortly. The elders will be observing your progress today."

"Yes Lord Hiashi!" Lee said excitedly.

The four of them filed into the main building of the compound. Neji was quiet, which was unusual when Tenten was around.

"Are you okay?" she asked brushing her hand against his.

His eyes lit up at the sound of her voice and brushed the tips of his fingers against hers. It was a secret gesture they shared while they were in public; innocent enough so that others will not suspect the secret they share, but intimate enough to acknowledge their feelings out in the open. "I'm fine. Just…Never mind it's not important."

"Mmm," she replied. She chose to not ask any more questions here. She knew Neji was hiding something from her, he was easy to read when he was emotional about something. And there was definitely some sort of emotion behind those eyes of his. "Will I see you tonight?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly then pulled his hand away from hers.

Their studies were nothing special. At least once a month the elders would sit in on their lessons and observe their progress or lack-there-of. Tenten was bored. It was the same lesson about their inner politics that they had every day. It was all for their tutors to show off to the elders anyway, it wasn't _really_ about showing off their students progress.

Tenten blew a part of her bangs out of her face and huffed a sigh of frustration.

"Shh," Neji shushed her, "be respectful."

"But I'm bored!" she groaned a little too loud. The elders immediately glared in her direction. She bowed an apology and returned to her notes.

"Way to go," Neji remarked sarcastically.

She stuck out her tongue at him.

Their studies were interrupted when Lord Hiashi, his wife, and Neji's mother entered the room. Tenten set down her pencil and nudged Neji to get his attention. He looked up and immediately Tenten could tell that something was going on. Neji averted his eyes from his family members and pretended to ignore their presence.

"What's wrong with you?" Tenten whispered.

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

The tutors finished up their final words and said, "Okay, we'll be ending a little early today. Remember you have an exam at the end of the week, make sure you're preparing for that."

As the tutors left the room, four Hyuga servants entered the room. Hiashi turned to them and said, "Will you please escort Tenten and Lee back to their rooms? Neji, Hinata, you two will remain here."

Neji and Hinata both agreed to stay behind. Tenten and Lee were both grabbed by the arms and pulled in the direction towards their rooms. "What's going on?" Tenten asked one of the men leading her down the hallway.

"We cannot discuss it at this time. Please be patient. The elders will reveal their intentions in due time."

Tenten almost rolled her eyes. They always said things like that anytime a child would ask a seemingly important question. "Well, I can walk on my own. I know how to get to my room," Tenten pulled away from their grasp, "Your services are no longer needed at this time."

The Hyuga servants immediately released their grasp on Tenten and Lee and exited the wing of the compound where their bedrooms were located.

"What's their problem?" Tenten mumbled to herself.

"It could be about Neji's father," Lee wondered aloud.

"Lee, do you think Hizashi is dead?"

"I don't know Tenten…he left the compound. We shouldn't even be speaking his name. He betrayed us."

Tenten didn't think that Hizashi could betray them. He was the nicest man she had ever met. She loved him. He was the closest thing she ever had to a father.

"But I can't imagine any other reason for Hiashi, Lady Hyuga, and Hiyeri to all want to talk to Neji and Hinata together, at the same time," Lee continued.

Tenten didn't buy it. Sure, they were just speculating, but Lee was right. They wouldn't all want to speak to Hinata and Neji privately for any other reason. But she doubted Lee's speculations because no one had even mentioned Hiashi since the day he left. He was gone. He didn't exist to them anymore. He deserted the clan and that was the worst crime anyone could ever commit.

Even worse than a love affair.

That night Tenten waited, like she always did for the knock at her door. As she waited for time to tick by, and for the servants to turn in for the night, she wasted time by brushing out her long hair, checking over her homework, straightening out her bedroll.

The knock came moments after the clock on her wall struck midnight. She jumped to her feet and pulled open the door. Before she could blink, the door was closed, and locked behind them and Neji's lips were on hers.

She held him for dear life because this was the only time they could be together like this. Like lovers; which, if anyone asked, they were not because that would be taboo. She felt Neji's hand on her thigh, slowly hiking up her nightgown. She ran her fingers through his hair, releasing the bandages tied tightly around his forehead. She kissed him feverishly until she was panting for breath. She coaxed him further into the room until her bedroll was under their feet. She pulled him to the ground with her and allowed him to lay her back.

She couldn't wait any longer. She begged with her eyes for him to go further. They couldn't speak of this, or else it would make it real, and what they did together after midnight behind her locked door, could never happen.

The affair had been going on for as long as Tenten could remember. She loved him since the day she met him. They were so young then. She was so alone; new to the compound, but Neji was nice to her. He talked to her and played with her. His mother and father treated her like she was their own. Neji was her best friend, and she loved him. And He loved her. The first time they kissed, they were up late talking. It was in Neji's room. At first, they couldn't believe what they had done. This wasn't allowed until they were married. But they couldn't stop. So they kept going—every night they would wait for the servants to turn in for the night and they would sneak off to others bedroom. Sometimes they did nothing but talk, other times they would only kiss, sometimes they would just sleep in each other's arms, and very occasionally they would commit the second greatest act of betrayal to the clan.

"If we're caught we could be executed," Neji warned shortly before the first time they committed the crime.

"I don't care. I love you Neji."

"I don't care either."

They had seen it before; people executed for having an affair. It didn't happen very often, but it happened enough for everyone in their community to know that it was absolutely not allowed, no matter the circumstances. It didn't matter if you were in love, because the ancestors didn't make the match.

It was just the two of them all night long. Tenten stared at Neji while he slept beside her. She hadn't slept a wink, she was still reveling in all the love she had for the young man lying beside her. She gentle traced the raised scars on his forehead from the brand the elders gave him when Hizashi left the commune. Since then, not a single person left the community in fear that their child would be branded like Neji.

Neji's eyes fluttered open and she quickly retracted her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered.

"What time is it?" he asked.

Tenten twisted around to get a look at the clock on her wall. "Just after two."

"Have you slept at all yet?"

She shook her head. "Too busy thinking I guess."

Neji rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, "what about?"

Tenten wasn't sure she should ask him about what happened when she and Lee were escorted out of their classroom, but she couldn't get her mind off it. She needed to know why Neji was acting so weird. She needed to know if the only man she ever saw as a father figure was dead. She needed to know why Neji and Hinata were having a hushed conversation after prayer.

"Why were you and Hinata asked to stay behind after the lesson?"

"You can't be letting that keep you awake at night."

"Neji please tell me. Is that why you were acting so strange? What you and Hinata were talking about at prayer?"

Neji didn't say anything. He sat up to put his shirt back on.

"Are you leaving?"

"I can't talk about this with you."

"Why the hell not!?"

"Keep your voice down!" Neji hissed.

"Why won't you tell me? I'm concerned. I just want to know if you're okay."

He didn't respond.

"Is it about your father?"

Neji froze at the mention of Hizashi. "We can't talk about that."

"Stop saying that! Of course we can. He's your father!" Tenten began to raise her voice but then remembered that she needed to keep quiet or they could be found out. They would certainly be executed if someone walked into her room to find Neji partially under Tenten's covers, and Tenten without her nightgown. She whispered her next words, "Hizashi is the closest thing I've ever had to a real family. Neji, I need to know if he's dead."

"He isn't dead…the last I heard, he was living in the city."

"Then what the hell is going on with your family!?"

Neji stood and crossed the room to the door. He unfastened the lock, then paused at the handle.

"Please tell me what's going on."

"I can't…I…we can't be…" he sighed. He needed to tell her. He needed to make it real, but it definitely didn't feel real. But he couldn't say it, not to her. It would kill her. It would break her heart…It already broke his.

Tenten pulled on her nightgown and crossed the room to join Neji at the door. She took his hand, "you know you can tell me anything, Neji."

"Hinata and I have been matched."

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I've outlined a lot of what I want to do with this fic so hopefully I'll be able to get more content out in a reasonable amount of time. Leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Tenten placed her hand firmly on the door to prevent Neji from leaving. "What do you mean you and Hinata have been matched? That doesn't make any sense! You're related. By blood!"

Neji retreated back to Tenten's bedroll and took a seat. They were going to talk about this now, and extensively. "Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think this was going to happen. Lord and Lady Hyuga are cousins, my mom and dad are cousins, and my grandparents on both sides are cousins."

Tenten joined him on the bedroll and pulled her knees up to her chin. "It doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense. It's just not what we wanted."

"But how are you matched already? You're not going to be sixteen for another month. And Hinata's still fourteen! I just…it goes against everything we believe in if you're already matched."

Neji took her hand and replied, "I don't get it either. Especially since there isn't any bad blood between my family and Hinata's like there was between the Uchiha's and the Haruno's. Their marriage was strictly political. I'm not even sure what mine and Hinata's marriage would be."

"A pure-blooded heir…"

Neji froze. "Tenten, I-"

It should have been obvious to him. He was the smart one. He could always figure out what people's true intentions were. He always knew the correct answers and solutions to problems political and educational alike. But he was completely blindsided by this. He didn't want to marry Hinata. He definitely didn't want Hinata to have his children. Something about it just seemed wrong. But it was the same situation his parents, his aunt and uncle, and his grandparents had been in. And his parents loved each other at some point, right? At least they did before his father abandoned them for the 'real world.'

"Stop, there's nothing we can do," Tenten trembled while she wiped a tear from her eyes. "We're not supposed to be together, remember? If the elders and the ancestors think that you and Hinata are the best match then…then we have to let it happen. Even if we don't want it to."

"I don't want this."

In that moment a thought so impure crossed her mind. Tenten couldn't possibly say this thought out loud. It might get her killed. She would lose everything. But she needed to say this. In this moment it seemed like the only viable option for them to remain together.

"What if we leave?"

"You can't possibly think that."

She shrugged. "I don't know what else to do."

"Well leaving isn't an option. Our family's here, all of our friends are here."

" _You're_ family's here. I don't have a family remember?" Tenten snapped. "I'm just a nameless child."

"Tenten stop, you're being ridic-"

"Don't finish that sentence!"

Neji snapped his mouth shut. This wasn't their fight at the moment. They needed to talk this out like adults if they wanted to continue to pretend to be in an adult relationship.

"Is that when you decided to sneak out?" Tsunade asked Tenten.

"No," she replied while taking a deep, calming breath, "this was months ago."

Just then, Kakashi reentered the room. "I called in chief Minato. He's going to come in and help us figure out how to go about this without alarming anyone within the commune. If we act too carelessly they might kill everyone on the spot."

Tenten felt like she couldn't breathe. All of a sudden the dull ache in her head that she's been having for the past few days turned into a dizzy spell. No matter what she did everyone was going to die anyways. She was watching the clock behind Tsunade's head. It was just after 2:30am. Only a few hours before sunrise and everyone would be leaving their homes for prayer and never coming back.

"Why aren't you doing anything now!?" Tenten stood up way too fast and felt her head spin. Her vision went black. She saw stars and erimmediately fell to the ground.

"Tenten!" Tsunade called out to her. She caught her before she could hit the ground and lowered her slowly to the floor, careful not to hit her head on the hardwood beneath them. "Kakashi, she's burning up. Call and ambulance."

The entire ride to the hospital, Tenten was in and out of consciousness. She's never been sick before. _What is going on?_ She could see Tsunade and Kakashi out of the corner of her eye riding with her in the ambulance. There was a man hovering over her. He was talking to her but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Tsunade held her hand.

In the hospital everything happened so fast. Tenten was carted away to have tests ran on why she passed out, why she was having difficulty breathing, and why her head hurt so badly. Tsunade and Kakashi were unsure of what to do in this moment regarding the impending tragedy.

"What do we do Tsunade?" Kakashi asked.

"Minato's on his way here now. We can't make any decisions without him."

They waited for what felt like hours until Minato stepped into the emergency room's waiting area.

"Have we heard anything yet?" he asked taking a seat next to Tsunade.

"No. But we're on a very small time limit Chief. We need to act now or hundreds of people are going to be killed."

"I agree. I spoke with Itachi Uchiha on the way here. He agrees that we need to send the S.W.A.T. team in now. And we can't allow Tenten back in the compound. Especially not now that she's been admitted to the hospital."

Kakashi and Tsunade nodded.

"Did you ask Itachi if he knew Tenten?" Kakashi asked. "It might help to have someone she knows here."

"I didn't ask. All I told him was that we had an insider tip us off. He didn't ask any further questions."

Tsunade stood and the other two followed. "Call it in."

A nurse rounded the corner and stopped in front of the trio, "the three of you came in with Tenten, correct?"

"You two go," Tsunade said to Kakashi and Minato, "I'll stay with Tenten until we need to go."

Kakashi and Minato left the E.R. to return to the police station and get ready for the infiltration.

"How is Tenten," Tsunade turned her attention back to the nurse.

"She's okay. She's awake and talking which is a good sign, but she was poisoned with cyanide. Do you have any idea how she could have come in contact?"

"I don't know. She came to the station asking for help and she passed out in the middle of our conversation."

"Well, luckily she wasn't exposed to very much of the toxin and we were able to catch it on time before it could cause any significant damage to her body. Do you know if there's a parent we can call for her? We don't have any medical records for her."

Tsunade couldn't tell the nurse that Tenten had just come from the cult's compound. But she did know of two people Tenten might know from the real world. "I'm not sure. May I see her? I can find out for you."

"Yes, absolutely. You may follow me."

The nurse knocked softly at the door when they got to Tenten's room and peaked in slowly. "Tenten, sweetie, you have a visitor."

Tenten sat up slowly, careful not to knock away the oxygen mask over her face. The nurse moved over to the bed and helped Tenten take off the oxygen mask and untangle her from all the wires and tubes. The nurse also did a quick vitals check and asked how Tenten was feeling before leaving Tsunade alone with her.

When the nurse was finally finished, Tsunade closed the door behind her and took a seat next to Tenten's bed.

"Any idea how you could have come in contact with cyanide?" she asked Tenten.

Tenten shrugged, "no idea…the only thing that makes sense is that someone overheard me telling Lee or Neji what I heard the elders say about 'ending our people.'"

Tsunade took her hand and squeezed it for reassurance, "everything will turn out okay. Obviously I can't promise that everything will turn out how you want it, but I promise that I will keep you safe and I will do everything in my power to help the people you love."

"Thank you."

"Is there anyone I can call for you? Maybe someone you know that lives outside of the compound?"

Tenten looked up with a spark in her eye, "Yeah actually. I can't believe I didn't think of it until now but, I know two people that left the compound a long time ago. They'd want to help. Their names are Hizashi Hyuga and Itachi Uchiha."

Tsunade smiled, "I actually know both of them. They've both been very active in our investigation. Everything we know about your people is information we got from them."

"Really!? Can you call Hizashi? Please!?" She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Oh my ancestors! Its 4:30, everyone will be gathering for prayer soon! We're almost out of time!"

"Tenten, don't worry about that. Kakashi and Chief Minato are on their way to the compound with the S.W.A.T. team now. Right now you need to focus on getting better. I'll call Hizashi right now."

Tsunade pulled out her cell phone and texted Minato to call Itachi and send him to the hospital. She then dialed Hizashi's number; on the other end, Tenten could hear him pick up.

"Tsunade? What is it?"

"Sorry to wake you Hizashi, but I have someone here that wants to talk to you. Would you be able to come to Konoha Hospital right away? Tenten would like to see you."

"Tenten!?"

Tsunade handed Tenten the cell phone. She took it cautiously, either like she wasn't quite sure how to use a phone, or because she wasn't quite sure that it was actually her foster father on the other end.

"Hizashi?" she whispered.

"Tenten!? Oh my God. Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I'm okay, but everyone else is in trouble. Will you please come to the hospital?"

"I'm already on my way. Can you tell me what's going on right now, or should it wait until I get to the hospital? My apartment is only a few blocks away. I should be there in just a few minutes."

"Maybe it should wait until you get here. It's bad Hizashi. Really bad." Tenten felt a tear roll down her cheek. Tsunade noticed her distress and took hold of Tenten's free hand.

Tenten handed Tsunade back her cell phone. She texted Hizashi the number of Tenten's room and together they waited for him to arrive.

There was a knock at the door minutes later and Tenten's ears perked up. "Hizashi," she whispered.

Tsunade allowed him inside the room. For a moment all he could do was stare at her. When Hizashi left the compound he was convinced that he would never see Neji, his wife, nor Tenten ever again. What his father and the elders were doing was too despicable. He had left because they were going to brand all the children in the compound so they could never leave…so they could have control over them forever. Even if one day they decided that the lifestyle wasn't for them. He begged the elders not to do it. He begged his wife to leave with him when the elders and his twin brother refused to listen to him. He wanted to take Neji with him. But some part of him just couldn't take him away from his mother. Neji would never forgive him for that.

"Tenten…" He took a seat on the edge of her hospital bed and wrapped her in his arms.

"I thought you were dead!" Tenten sobbed. "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"No Tenten, I'm okay." He released his hold on her and asked, "What's going on. How are you here?"

Tenten explained to him how she was able to sneak out of the compound. She told him that she overheard the elders talking about how they were going to kill everyone. "They said at the end of prayer they're going to free everyone from their life on earth or something. Something about how the ancestors want it. But I don't think that's true. I think people are starting to not believe anymore. At least, I don't believe anymore. And I don't think that Lee does and I think that Neji's been questioning everything and…and…"

"Tenten, take a breath. You're okay. You're safe. They can't hurt you here."

"Hizashi…everything I've ever known was a lie," she sobbed.

"I know, I know…" he turned to Tsunade, "you have to let us go. We have to be there for the raid, please Tsunade. I have to see my son. If they poisoned Tenten for knowing too much, they definitely have done something to Neji. He's too smart to not know their real plans."

"Neji knows everything. I told him what I overheard, but he didn't believe me. He wants so badly to keep his faith. After everything he's been through…I don't blame him for calling me a liar."

"Everything he's been through?" Hizashi asked.

"He's been really angry since you left…he was sad at first but then…then they…they branded him. They did it in the middle of the city for everyone to see. They announced afterwards that if anyone else ever defected, they'd do the same thing to their children. But…they also changed the match age since you left. It used to be eighteen, right? They changed it to sixteen and sometimes people are being matched as young as fourteen. Sasuke and Sakura are married and she's pregnant already. And they told Neji and Hinata a few months ago that they were to be matched after Neji turned sixteen."

Hizashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're not branded too, are you?"

"No. They only did it to Neji…because you left..."

Hizashi was in shock. Everyone was quiet until Tsunade's phone rang.

"Yes Minato?" she asked when she picked up the phone, "No, Tenten hasn't been discharged yet, I'll talk to the doctor…yes we will be there as soon as we can."

"What is it, Tsunade?" Hizashi asked.

"They're about to infiltrate the compound. They need me there and Minato wants the two of you and Itachi there as well, to help convince anyone that is afraid to leave. Will you help us?"

"Absolutely," Hizashi said. "Tenten?"

"Yes. But, Hizashi, there's something I need to tell you before…before…"

"What is it Tenten, you can tell me anything." He held her hand to comfort her.

"Neji and I, we're together. We have been for a while but nobody knows because we aren't matched…it's…we've committed treason…they might know—the elders I mean."

"That explains the cyanide poisoning. The elders probably found out and that's why you've been poisoned. They've done it before. A long time ago Hiashi was in love with a commoner, she was poisoned with cyanide and died. You're lucky to be alive Tenten."

"I'm going to talk to the doctor," Tsunade announced. "Be ready to leave when I get back."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

"So this is the end for us?" Tenten asked. She didn't want to hear Neji's answer.

"Well, we can't keep sneaking around after Hinata and I are married."

Tenten sighed. She couldn't cry about this anymore tonight, no matter how much she wanted to. They didn't know anything more about the situation other that the fact that Neji and Hinata will be matched eventually.

"It might not be this year's matchmaking ceremony," Neji told her. "Hiashi and the elders just said that we were going to be matched. They didn't tell us when. And like you said, Hinata's still only fourteen, it could be a few years until we actually get married."

Tenten could hear the unease in Neji's words when he spoke of marrying Hinata.

Tenten glanced toward the window, "the sun's coming up."

"We're not done talking."

"Would you rather get caught in my room and then executed?" she threatened.

"We're just talking." It was quiet for a moment before Neji continued. "Tenten. I don't want to get married."

"To Hinata or at all?"

"Both. We're just kids…I wish they didn't change the match age. It made way more sense for it to be eighteen. Nobody was in favor of the elders changing it to sixteen, and I definitely can't imagine anyone being in favor of their children being matched under special circumstances before they turn sixteen like Sasuke and Sakura."

"That's why Itachi left, isn't it?" Tenten asked.

"That's the rumor. Sasuke won't talk about it, but we're not friends, so why would he?"

"You need to leave before the servants come to wake us up." Tenten knew she was trying to avoid talking about this with Neji anymore today. It was making her too upset to have a rational conversation. It was hard to be rational at all when the person you loved was talking about marrying someone else, even if it was against his wishes.

"Let them find me here. We're not doing anything and the door is unlocked."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. The servant opened to door slowly and said "Tenten, it's time to wake up—oh! There you are Neji, I was wondering where you might have gone when you weren't in your room. What's going on?"

"I had a bad dream is all," Tenten responded quickly. The tears she wiped away made her lie all the more convincing. "Neji heard me crying and came to check on me."

"Are you okay now?" the servant asked.

Tenten stood up from her bedroll and Neji followed. "Yeah I'm fine. We'll be out to the courtyard in a minute."

"Take your time." The servant left.

Neji glanced at Tenten, silently asking if she really was okay.

"No, but I will be…we just have to get through it."

Two months slipped by quietly. In that time Neji and Tenten had stopped sneaking into each other's rooms. They hardly talked outside of school at all anymore. It hurt too badly. Neji had turned sixteen a month ago…it was bittersweet for the both of them, it only meant they were that much closer to the matching ceremony where Neji and Hinata would likely be chosen as suitable partners. Something for purely selfish reasons neither she nor Neji wanted.

A few days ago the date of the next match ceremony was announced: January 16th. It was being held much earlier than usual. Normally the match making ceremonies weren't held until spring. The elders were obviously planning something. And knowing how their inner politics worked, they were probably trying to get Hinata pregnant as soon as possible. Tenten wanted to puke.

She was walking the streets alone that day. She had planned on going to the market with Lee that morning, but when he said that Neji was coming with them, she quickly made up an excuse that she wasn't feeling well and that they'd go to the market together another day. As a resident of the head household, Tenten wasn't allowed to walk the streets without an escort or a buddy. But she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts, as far as possible from the presence of Hiashi, his father, and the elders.

She passed the park, where many of the compound's children were playing. One of the parents spotted her and gave her a disapproving look. They were probably going to tattle on her for walking the streets alone. She kept walking.

Eventually she found herself at Sasuke and Sakura's front door. She knocked softly. She hoped Sasuke was gone, she really just wanted to talk to Sakura alone.

"Tenten!" Sakura said when she opened the door, "what are you doing here?"

"Do you have a couple minutes? I really need to talk to someone that isn't Lee or Neji for once…"

Sakura immediately noticed the troubled look on Tenten's face and allowed her inside.

"Where's Sasuke?" Tenten asked once she was inside the Uchiha's house.

"He's doing something with his father. Some kind of father-son bonding shit I don't understand."

"Sounds masculine."

Sakura laughed. "Yeah pretty much." The two of them moved into the kitchen where Sakura put a water kettle on to boil. "Tea?"

"Yes please," Tenten replied.

As they waiting for the water on the stove to boil, Tenten was quiet. She didn't know exactly how to ask for Sakura's advice about her relationship with Neji.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Sakura finally asked.

Tenten thought for a minute then said, "I'm worried about the matching ceremony."

"Why?" Sakura asked, "That's still five months away."

"I know, but…I'm worried about who I'll be matched to," Tenten lied.

Sakura laughed. "What, you don't want to be matched with Neji?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"There's literally no other match in your age bracket that makes more sense than you and Neji."

Tenten sighed. She thought so too, but obviously the elders would rather have him impregnating his younger cousin. "We had a fight."

"You and Neji? What about?"

Tenten shrugged. "The match ceremony I guess. Or more so, who we're going to get matched with."

"Who do you think you'll be matched with? Lee?"

"No…I can't tell you. But, we fought about it and now we haven't talked since his birthday."

"That was over a month ago!"

"Yeah, I know…and now I can't stop avoiding him."

"Tenten…He's your best friend, practically your brother-"

"Oh God," Tenten groaned and slammed her forehead on the kitchen table. "Don't say that!"

"What? What did I say!?"

"Nothing just ignore me..." Tenten mumbled into the table.

Sakura took the kettle off the stove and poured herself and Tenten a cup. She placed one of the cups in front of Tenten and pushed the canister of teabags in front of her. "I suggest chamomile," Sakura said.

"Tea isn't going to be able to fix this mess."

"Okay, details aside," Sakura began as she shuffled through the tea canister for the bag she wanted, "you and Neji are inseparable, and you shouldn't let one fight get in the way of your friendship. You've been through a lot together; his father, the branding…"

"Yeah you're right," Tenten sighed. "I should probably talk to him."

"Do you want some good news?" Sakura asked.

"Yes please."

"I'm pregnant."

"WHAT!? Since when!?"

"We found out yesterday. Only our parents know so far."

"Wow…Congratulations. Is it a weird feeling?"

"Honestly, it hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm happy about it, and I love Sasuke so much but it still feels like we're so young. Even though we're married, it still feels like we're committing a crime, you know?"

Tenten knew all too well what Sakura was feeling. Except, Sasuke and Sakura were not breaking the law. She and Neji are, or were…were they even still together?

"I think the elders are going to match Neji with Hinata," Tenten finally came out and said.

"What makes you think that?" Sakura asked, confusion obvious in her eyes.

"A lot of different things…and I don't think they're going to wait for Hinata to turn sixteen."

Sakura didn't know what to say. They were all disgusted with the idea of moving the match age from eighteen to sixteen. She was even more disgusted with the idea of marrying Sasuke before either of them had even turned sixteen just to solve some sort of made up conflict between their two families, but this was a new kind of disgust; Hinata was fourteen, and Neji had _just_ turned sixteen, and they were closer blood relatives than either of their parents and grandparents are. She understood the idea of a pureblooded heir, but Neji's parents weren't first cousins, and Hinata's parents were somehow related by blood but nobody was really sure how, other than the fact that they were both Hyuga's. And Hinata and Neji were raised more like siblings than like cousins.

"I hate this and there's nothing anyone can do that wouldn't be committing treason."

"Well, you don't know for sure that they will be matched until the ceremony. Even then, they might not be matched at all. We won't know until we know."

 _No, we do know for sure. Because they already told Neji and Hinata their fates._ "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Is this what you and Neji fought about? The possibility of an odd match?"

"I know it seems silly." Tenten needed to lie to hide her secret, "I know it's just a feeling, but it's been making me physically sick and I don't know what to do about it. Neji won't talk to me and Lee wouldn't understand."

Sakura sighed. "I'm not really sure how I can help you."

"It's okay. I just needed to talk about it. There's not really anything anyone can do about. And like you said, we won't know if it'll happened until they are actually matched at the ceremony," she lied.

"Well I'm glad I could lend an ear."

Once Tenten returned home that day, Neji and Lee had beat her to the compound. They were sitting on the porch outside of their wing when Tenten stepped back into the courtyard. She sat next to Lee and helped herself to the sandwiches they we eating for lunch.

"Tenten!" Lee said excitedly, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Where were you?" Neji asked. "The servants have been looking for you since we got back. They thought you were going to the market with us."

"I went to Sakura's."

"Alone!?" Neji said angrily.

"Yeah."

Lee looked back and forth between his two friends. There was obvious tension between them. Lee knew that they had an argument before Neji's birthday, but he didn't think they could still be holding a grudge against each other.

"Tenten, you know you're not supposed to be without an escort!"

"Neji, relax. I was at my friend's house."

"Since when is Sakura your friend?"

"Okay!" Lee interjected, "both of you need to stop! Why is this even an argument? The both of you go off alone all the time. Why is it all of a sudden an issue for you Neji?"

Neji did not answer Lee's question. Tenten continued to glare at her lover.

"You're both being childish."

Tenten dramatically jumped off the small stoop of the porch and stormed off. "I'm taking a walk. Neither of you follow me."

Neji and Lee watched her walk off towards the wing of the compound where the elders held their meetings. "Well?" Lee said, "You're not going to go after her?"

"She asked us not to."

Lee narrowed his eyes at his friend.

Neji groaned, then stood up. "Fine!" He chased after Tenten.

Tenten made it all the way to the alleyway behind the mansion before Neji could grab her. She stopped quickly as Neji grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him.

"Is this still about the match ceremony?" Neji whispered in case any servants had seen him chasing after Tenten and decided to eavesdrop.

"I told you not to follow me."

"Tenten…"

"Yes. It's about that." She spun around to face him and immediately his hold on her arm relaxed and his fingers drifted towards hers. She returned the gesture and linked their fingers together.

"We have to accept it."

"Neji, I can't. I can't watch you marry Hinata and raise a family with her. I would die."

"If we're careful we can still be together."

Tenten's eyes narrowed at him. "I will _not_ be your whore, Neji!"

"I didn't mean it that way."

Tenten wanted to raise her voice, but she couldn't. People were always listening in this place. Always looking for reasons to punish or execute someone. "Think about it Neji…eventually I'm going to get pregnant. Then what? I'll be executed for having a child out of wedlock, and if I am married by then, we'd both be executed when the child has your eyes and not my husband's. It's going to happen if we continue to see each other. We can't hide this forever."

"I love you," he whispered.

Tenten held his face between her hands and stared into his eyes. "And I love you. More than anything."

Neji kissed her gently.

Behind Tenten there was a rustling; someone must have been taking out the trash. They pulled away quickly.

"Oh! Lady Tenten, Lord Neji, there you are. Hiashi's been looking for you."

"Did I hear you say you found them?" another voice said. It was Hiashi's advisor. "What are you two doing back here? Tenten, where have you been all day?"

Tenten was about to fess up to leaving the compound alone when Neji stepped in front of her. "She was at Sasuke and Sakura's. We dropped her off there before Lee and I went to the market."

"Neji, you must not lie to me. Multiple people saw her alone in the village. Tenten, come with me. You will be confined to your room for the rest of the day."

"Yes sir…" Tenten followed the advisor back into the mansion. Neji followed behind.

Once they reached the children's wing, the advisor opened the bedroom door for Tenten and locked her inside. This was nothing new to neither Tenten nor Neji. Anytime a child of the compound broke the rules, this was their punishment. Once the door was locked, the advisor stared down at Neji and said, "You need to be spending less time with Tenten and more time with Hinata. I know that Tenten is your friend, but she is not the one you're engaged to marry."

"I don't want to marry Hinata," Neji mumbled.

"No one wants to marry who they are matched with, but you must. You will learn to love Hinata the way you think you love Tenten."

For a moment Neji's eyes widened. He knew. The advisor knew.

The advisor left Neji at Tenten's door. Tenten heard him, she had to. These doors weren't sound proof. He wanted to go to her. She was probably freaking out, just like he was right now. He reached for the doorknob, but stopped himself. If he was seen trying to get into her room, it would only confirm any suspicions the advisor or any other servant may have about his and Tenten's relationship.

Tenten watched Neji's shadow from under the door. She heard everything. She held the door closed, "don't come in. Don't come in." she whispered to herself over and over in prayer. She was freaking out. Her heart hammered against her ribcage. She thought she was going to have a panic attack. "Please don't try to come in."

She stared at the floor. Neji's shadow was still there. She continued to whisper, "Go away, Neji. Please Ancestors don't let him come in. Please."

Eventually Neji walked away.

Tenten collapsed to the floor. They were done. She and Neji hadn't been caught in the act exactly, but they were under suspicion. They were never going to see each other outside of their regular routine ever again. She cried.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

They hadn't spoken in months outside of class or their daily schedule. They acted as if everything was normal between them. They were no longer fighting, and they were back to being friends. Hiashi's advisor watched them like a hawk. Anytime they brushed past each other, they could feel the man's eyes on them. They no longer snuck into each other's rooms in the middle of the night. They couldn't. Even if the other servants suspected nothing, the advisor would have informed them to keep a close eye on Neji and Tenten. They couldn't even breathe near each other without one of the servants reporting it.

Hiashi knew nothing of the advisor's suspicions. That was obvious. Even though the advisor worked closest to Hiashi, everyone knew that he was loyal to the elders. If Hiashi broke a law, the advisor would report it to the elders. His job was to spy. There was nothing Neji and Tenten could do to avoid his stare.

It was December now. The match ceremony was only a month away. Neji was spending more time with Hinata lately, like he was asked to. It hurt her to see them together, even though neither of them loved the other the way Neji loved Tenten and Tenten loved Neji.

It was late one night when Tenten could not sleep. She didn't feel well and she tossed and turned for hours thinking of the upcoming ceremony. She tried to convince herself that maybe the elders would reconsider matching Neji and Hinata and match Neji with her instead. But that wasn't likely to happen with the advisor whispering in their ears. Who would she be matched with if not Neji? It wouldn't be Lee since they are both nameless children. Maybe Hikaru from the village? He was nice. He was the oldest son of a merchant family. The elders would see that as a good match for Tenten. Or maybe Souta? He was kind of annoying, but pretty feisty like Tenten. The elders might see that as a bad match. Maybe she wouldn't be matched at all. That was possible. Maybe she'd be matched with someone that didn't get a match last year. After all, Ko Hyuga wasn't matched yet. Tenten always liked him. He was nice. If she wasn't already in love with Neji she'd be okay with being matched with Ko.

Tenten needed to clear her head. She stood up from her bedroll and slipped out into the hallway. Taking a walk always helped to clear her head. She tiptoed passed Neji's room, then Lee's, then Hinata and Hanabi's. Eventually she reached the wing of the house where meetings were held. Nobody would be anywhere near the meeting rooms at this hour. She would be alone. She passed Hiashi's office, then the advisors office, then she heard whispers. She quickened her pace, then stopped at the large meeting room. A light was on.

She couldn't hear everything, but she could definitely hear people inside. Out of curiosity, she tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. She cracked the door.

"Lord Hyuga, if we do this, we must act as soon as possible."

It was Hiashi's advisor.

"Yes, I agree with Daigo, Hideo. Our people are beginning to lose faith."

That was Hiashi's mother.

"Yes Lady Hyuga," said another elder, "I've noticed it too. Especially after Hizashi deserted the clan. It scared many of our people into believing that our ways are wrong. I've heard reports of people whispering in the streets that they don't even pray anymore."

"Well maybe if you didn't brand Neji for his father's crimes people wouldn't be scared…"

"How dare you speak against the ancestors' word!" Daigo yelled at another elder.

"Daigo, please calm down," Lord Hyuga spoke quietly. "She is right. It was extreme of us, however we never would have done it if the ancestors didn't want it. Neji and his mother needed to pay for Hizashi's crimes, and they did. But Itachi Uchiha's desertion went unpunished, and because of that, the villagers have questioned our true intentions. Their faith needs to be replenished."

"And you think this is the only way?" his wife asked.

"I do."

"Then it is unanimous," Daigo declared, "On the eve of the match making ceremony, the village will be purified and we will all join the ancestors."

Tenten quickly moved away from the door, and ran back to her bedroom as the elders' meeting finished and they exited the room. Tenten's heart was racing. _Purified? Joining the ancestors?_ "They're going to kill us all," Tenten whispered.

That night Tenten did not sleep. She stared at her bedroom ceiling until one of the servant's knocked on her door to wake her up for the Morning Prayer. She went through the motions. Brushed out her hair, put on her white dress, tucked her shoes into the closet, and padded softly to the court yard to join the villagers. She knelt beside Neji as she always did. She pressed her hands together and lowered her head. But she didn't pray. Her mind was racing. _What do I do? I have to tell Neji, he'll know what to do. What if he doesn't believe me? What about Lee? What about Hiyeri? And Hinata and Hanabi? Sakura, Sasuke, and their unborn baby? We're all going to die._

The first birds began to sing, which was the signal that prayer was over. They repeated the mantra back to Lord Elder and dispersed. Tenten didn't move. Behind her she could hear Hinata talking to Sakura about how excited she was that the baby would have an April birthday. It was December now. She still had four months to go…if she lived that long. Sasuke was talking to Neji quietly. They didn't normally speak at all. They were talking about the matchmaking ceremony.

"Any idea who you'll be matched with?" Sasuke asked.

Neji pretended like he hadn't even thought about it.

Lee was talking to another boy in the village about beginning to go on runs with him when spring came. _Spring wasn't coming for them._

Tenten's head was spinning. Her vision began to blur and before she could realize what was happening, she was falling. Immediately Neji was at her side. He caught her and lowered her slowly to the ground.

"Tenten, are you okay?" Neji asked, "What happened?"

She couldn't speak.

"Can you sit up?"

Her eyelids were heavy, her vision was still blurred. Lee had a hand on her back and helped Neji sit her up. Then her stomach churned. She pushed Neji out of the way and threw up.

Neji pushed Lee out of the way and pulled Tenten's hair back as she continued to throw up. He rubbed gentle circles on her back and the servant's began to swarm.

"Lady Tenten," Tenten's main caretaker said, "let me help you to your room and call a doctor."

"No," Neji said pushing the servant out of the way, "she's hyperventilating, get out of the way!"

Tenten didn't even realize how heavily she was breathing until Neji called attention to it. "I c-can't b-breathe."

"You're definitely breathing," Neji told her calmly. "Lee go get her some water."

"N-neji," was all Tenten could get out before feeling faint again. Neji grabbed her hand and squeezed it as he allowed her to fall into him. He caught her and continued to talk her out of her panic.

"You're okay," he whispered in her ear, "I'm right here. Breathe in and out slowly. Lee's getting you some water and they're calling the doctor."

Neji held the glass of water up to her lips. She hadn't even realized Lee had returned. She grabbed the glass, but her hands were shaking too much. Neji helped her tip the glass up.

"Small sips," he instructed.

She was finally able to get a good breath in again. "I'm okay," she whispered.

Neji helped her stand, but she was wobbly. Almost immediately after standing, her knees were buckling again. He caught her halfway to the ground and scooped her up. "I've got you."

"Neji," Daigo said from off to the side where he, Hiashi, and the elders were observing the commotion. "Take her to her room, I'll have the doctor meet us there."

Daigo followed Neji and Tenten back to her room. He opened the door for them and turned on the light. He watched Neji set Tenten down and tuck her in. He brushed Tenten's sweaty bangs out of her face and sat beside her.

"Neji," Daigo said, "you are dismissed. I will stay with her while we wait for the doctor."

"No. I'm not going anywhere."

Tenten's eyes fluttered open then she said, "Please don't leave."

"I'm not," Neji replied.

"Neji, do I need to remind you of your engagement. I know you told her."

Neji glared back at his uncle's advisor. "We're not doing anything. She's sick. And I don't think _I_ need to remind _you_ that I sit above you in the hierarchy. Get out!"

Daigo frowned, then glanced quickly to Tenten who was now shivering in her bedroll and curling towards Neji. "Your grandfather will not be pleased to hear about this."

"I don't care. Get out. I'm not going to tell you again."

Daigo bowed and walked away.

"I hate him," Tenten whispered.

"Shh," Neji whispered putting his hand to her forehead again, "rest. The doctor will be here soon."

"She's fine," the doctor said after finishing his checkup. "It was just a slight panic attack."

"One that made her throw up?" Neji questioned.

"Anxiety."

Tenten sat still as the doctor finished packing away her equipment and informing everyone in the room that she was fine. Tenten didn't believe her…after all she was one of the elders she had heard in the meeting the night before. Neji stood off to the side of Tenten's room while Hiashi and Hiyeri stood in the doorway. Tenten knew Lee was waiting in the hallway even though she couldn't see him.

"You're feeling better now that you've calmed down, right Tenten?" the doctor asked.

"A little," she replied staring down at her still shaking hands.

Neji was skeptical.

"You heard the doctor," Hiyeri told her son, "let's leave Tenten to rest. You have your lessons to keep up with today."

Neji sat down and declared, "I'm not leaving."

Hiyeri looked to her brother-in-law for help. He shrugged and said, "we can cancel classes for today. There are things I would like to get done with Hinata and Hanabi today anyways."

Everyone agreed on leaving Neji and Tenten alone and left the room. Neji closed the door behind everyone and locked it. She stared up at him. He stared at her. "Are you really okay?" he asked.

Tenten shrugged, "I haven't been feeling well the last couple days."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We haven't really been able to talk a lot since Diago threatened you."

"Daigo won't do anything. Like I said, I outrank him."

"I don't know about that…" Tenten trailed off quietly.

Neji looked at her questioningly.

"Nothing. Never mind." She sat up slowly in her bedroll and looked at her hands again. She was not longer trembling, but the pit in her stomach hadn't gone away. Drinking water helped.

"You probably need to eat something," Neji suggested as he took a seat beside her.

"No. I don't want to puke again."

Neji put a hand on her forehead. "You don't have a fever."

She sipped her water.

Neji glanced behind him quickly to make sure no one was lingering by the door. Then he looked at her and whispered, "Are you pregnant?"

Tenten choked. Water spilling down her chin. She wiped it away and said, "I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"Neji. I'm not pregnant."

"Okay, I believe you. But still…why are you fainting and throwing up from a panic attack?"

"Because I feel sick to my stomach." She began trembling again at the thought of everyone she knew and loved dying at the hands of the leaders they were supposed to look up to.

"What were you anxious about?" he grabbed her trembling hand.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Tenten, please don't lie to me. What's going on?"

She contemplated telling him everything right here. But he believed in his family and the religion they were raised in. He loved his grandfather even when his grandfather ordered Neji be publicly branded and for Hiyeri to be sterilized in retaliation for Hizashi's desertion. And he believed that they deserved it because his father was a criminal in the eyes of the clan. He believed in the elders even when they told him that marrying Hinata would please the ancestors. He believed that he still had power over Daigo even when the advisor was threatening his and Tenten's lives. Because he prayed for it.

"I'm nervous for the match ceremony," Tenten lied.

"Yeah," Neji replied, "so am I." Then he climbed under the covers with her and held her close.

A/N: I am so sorry it had taken me so long to update! I haven't given up on this fic yet! I am determined to finish it even if it takes forever!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

"What do you mean Hizashi is gone?"

Hiyeri Hyuga sat in front of the elders, and Hiashi, the head of the clan. They were in the largest meeting room, where the head family was in the middle of discussing the future of the compound's children. The topics discussed that day were to be branding of the children, and lowering the match age from eighteen to sixteen. Hiyeri interrupted the meeting to notify her husband's family of the current emergency they were facing.

"He left a note," Hiyeri told her father-in-law. She handed it to Hiashi and he read it aloud.

 _My dearest Hiyeri,_

 _I have loved you since the moment the elders and our ancestors matched us thirteen years ago. You were so beautiful in your white gown, and the light in your eyes was so bright I thought I was dreaming. And then you gave birth to our son a year later and I knew then that I could never love another soul more than I love you and Neji. We were raised to believe so strongly in our ancestors. I never lost faith or questioned our ways because I truly felt like there was no better way to live and raise our family._

 _Then Tenten came into our lives and I fell in love again. She was the daughter we never planned on having, but I love her just the same as I do Neji, and I know you do too. As our children grow older, my greatest wish for them is that they find a love like we have, and that their faith in our ancestors never goes away. I hope that Neji and Tenten can grow up to be loving, and caring, and strong._

 _This is why with great sorrow I write you this letter. The elders have made a mistake. Even though you and I believe in our ways, and we have found nothing but happiness within the compound, our ways may not be what every child wants when they grow up. They need to be given the choice to leave if they wish, and branding our children takes away their choice. And this is why I am leaving._

 _I want to take Neji and Tenten with me, for this conversation of branding our children sickens me. However, I cannot take away my children from their mother and I cannot pull them out of the only world they know. I know that I am committing the greatest crime against the clan, but I cannot follow a religion that thinks that branding children is acceptable. I cannot follow the elders if they want to take away our peoples choices of freedom._

 _Please tell Neji and Tenten that I love them. I hope that one day I can see you and our children again._

 _Goodbye Hiyeri._

 _With love,_

 _Hizashi_

For a long time nobody said a word. Then the world stopped turning.

"Where is Neji?" Lord Hyuga, Hizashi and Hiashi's father asked.

"He is with his tutors," Hiyeri answered.

He looked to the guards and ordered. "Bring Neji here. Hiyeri is not allowed to leave this room. And call everyone to the courtyard immediately. We have a message to convey."

"Father, what are you talking about?" Hiashi asked.

"Our people need to be reminded of what happens when they break the law."

"What!?" Hiyeri asked, becoming hysterical. "You can't execute Hizashi. He's gone! Who knows how far away he's gotten."

"Lord Hyuga," another elder said carefully, "he is your son."

"It doesn't matter if Hizashi is my son. He is a traitor to the clan, he is dead to me." He stood from his chair and crossed the room. He stopped in front of Hiyeri who was on her knees, blocked by the guards from going anywhere. "It is not Hizashi who needs to be punished for his crimes…it is his wife and son."

Hiashi looked as if he was about to step in and question his father's methods, but he stopped himself. Hiyeri begged him with her eyes to say something. If anyone had the power to stop whatever it was Lord Elder had planned, it was his oldest son. Hiyeri attempted to stand but she was immediately pushed back down by the guards and held against the floor.

"Please Hideo," she begged, "you can't do this to Neji. He's only twelve. He doesn't even know that Hizashi is gone yet. I came straight here after reading the letter to tell you. Please, leave Neji out of this, he doesn't know."

"Hiyeri, if you and Neji go unpunished, what is to keep the rest of our people from leaving like your husband? It is inexcusable."

"Please. You know how much faith Neji and I have. We would never desert the clan."

"Hizashi believed, and look what happened."

There was a knock at the door and a guard entered the room with Neji.

Neji saw his mother on the floor and looked up to his grandfather. "What's going on?"

"Neji, my grandson, come here."

Neji followed his grandfather's request. Hiyeri looked up at her son with tears in her eyes. "Please," she begged.

"Mom?" Neji asked, panic evident in his voice, "mom, what's wrong?" He tried to go to her, but another guard pulled him back, and forced Hiyeri's face into the floor again.

Neji's first thought was that his mother broke a law. Why else would they be treating one of the ladies of the clan this way? "What happened? Where is my father?"

"Neji," Hiyeri cried softly.

"He's gone," Hiashi answered him. "Hizashi has deserted the clan. He's never coming back."

"What? That's impossible." Neji was scared. His heart was racing. There was no way his father broke one of the greatest laws of the clan and just left him, his mother, and Tenten alone. He loved them so much, he would never leave.

Hiashi read Neji his father's letter. Neji felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"No…it's fake. It has to be fake," he tried to reason. "He would never…father would never leave us."

"Neji," Lord Hyuga said as he traced his thumb across Neji's forehead, "It is the truth. And someone needs to answer for your father's crimes."

Lord Hyuga stepped back and nodded to the guard behind Neji. The guard responded quickly by grabbing Neji and throwing him to the floor beside his mother. He held him down until it was time to drag him and Hiyeri out to the courtyard.

"Lady Tenten, Lord Lee," one of the servants said interrupting their lesson. "Everyone is being called to the courtyard."

"How come?" Tenten asked.

"I don't know. All I was told was to call everyone outside and that it is mandatory that the entire village is present."

Tenten looked to Lee, who looked back at her with the same fear in his eyes. The last time everyone's day was interrupted by a mandatory meeting in the courtyard, two kids not much older than them were publically executed for having an affair. Tenten never wanted to see that again. She didn't sleep for months after seeing those two kids' brain matter spattered across the grounds where they prayed every day. She still couldn't look at Lord Elder the same way. Seeing the leader of their clan shooting two kids in the head scared Tenten more than anything.

Lee and Tenten followed the servant outside. They joined Hinata and Hanabi at the front of the circle that was beginning to form around the sacred tree. They watched the villagers file in, expanding the circle. In the middle, there were servants preparing for whatever was about to happen. There was a fire going.

"Do you guys know what's going on?" Lee asked Hinata and Hanabi.

Hanabi shook her head while Hinata responded, "No idea. Our nanny came and took us out of our lesson."

Tenten looked across the crowd. Their friends from the village were all with their teachers after being pulled out of school and being handed off to their parents. The Uchiha police force stood throughout the crowd, probably to stop any commotion that may occur as a response to what the elders were about to do. The Hyuga servants all gathered together, and the merchants from the village joined their families.

"Where's Neji?" Tenten asked.

Hinata shook her head. "A guard came and got him from our lesson about an hour before we were all called here."

They listened to the whispers from the adults that surrounded them.

"I heard someone was caught having an affair again."

"It's probably just an important announcement."

"Maybe they've chosen a date for the next match ceremony?"

"No, someone was caught stealing from the head household…that's what I heard anyways."

"Don't listen to them," one of the servants said to them. "Everything will be okay."

"Wait," said Lee, "I don't see Hiyeri or Hizashi either."

Tenten's heart skipped a beat. Then all of a sudden she couldn't breathe. _No. I'm being ridiculous. They're fine._

Just then, there was a commotion as Hyuga guards pushed their way through the crowd. Both Neji and Hiyeri were being dragged through the crowd, Hiyeri fighting to get to Neji and Neji struggling to get free. Hiyeri yelled for her son. The crowd silenced.

Once the guards reached the center of the courtyard, they forced Neji and his mother on their knees. Lord Hyuga, along with the other elders, and Hiashi stood before the crowd. Lord Hyuga addressed his people.

"Thank you everyone for leaving your busy schedules to gather before the sacred tree. It is with great sorrow that I must report to you that my son Hizashi has deserted the clan. We believe that he left early this morning, before we gathered for prayer. He left behind a note that said he had lost his faith. Even though I grieve the loss of my son, he did break the law and his crimes cannot go unpunished."

Lee looked to Tenten, tears were in her eyes as they heard the news of the only man she ever saw as a father. He took her hand. She tried to take a step forward, but the servants held her back. Their hands were trembling too.

"I want to remind all of you that our laws are very important to us. Without laws, we have chaos and disorder. Following the laws show our love and respect for the ancestors. When you break the law, you betray the ancestors. You betray your people. Which is why your children will pay for any crime you commit."

Hiyeri wailed as Neji was pulled up by the guards and forced to his knees in front of his grandfather.

Tenten took off in a run, trying to get to Neji. The servants pulled her back.

"Tenten, no!" Hinata whispered. "You can't."

"But Neji and Hiyeri are…" Tenten didn't actually know what was about to happen. But she knew that two people she loved more than anything were in danger.

"If you involve yourself, you will be punished," a servant whispered in Tenten's ear. "I know how you feel, but you have to just stay put and watch."

"I-I can't."

"Tenten, please." Lee whispered.

Lord Hyuga began to speak again, "From now on, if anyone deserts the clan, this is what's going to happen to your children."

The elder turned to the fire that was lit behind him and pulled out a red-hot stoke. The guards restraining Neji grabbed onto his hair and his shoulders to prevent him from moving. Lord Elder held the hot stoke in his hand and stared down at his grandson who was begging for him not to do this.

"Hiashi, do something!" Hiyeri screamed at her brother-in-law.

Tears were in Neji's eyes as his grandfather grabbed his chin and pressed the burning metal into Neji's forehead. Hiyeri matched Neji's outcry as she watched her child be branded. Neji fought against the hot metal against his face until he passed out from the pain. He fell to the ground as the guards let him go and Lord Elder threw the still-hot rod to the ground beside them. The guards holding back Hiyeri let her go and she ran to her son. She cursed her father-in-law as she held her son in her arms.

Lord Hyuga addressed the crowd again. "Tomorrow Hiyeri will be sterilized."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

After the village was dismissed from the declaration that their children would be branded if they were ever to desert the clan, it was chaos. At least, within the estate. The villagers left in silence as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. Children cried softly as their parents carried them home. Adults shuffled out slowly and quietly as they got over the shock.

Tenten sobbed quietly into her caretaker's chest. Lee placed a hand gently on her shoulder, tears silently streaming down his cheeks as well. Hinata and Hanabi cried too as their mother joined them. Lady Hyuga got down on her knees in front of her daughters and spoke quiet words of comfort to them.

Lady Hyuga along with the children's caretakers escorted Tenten, Lee, Hinata, and Hanabi back inside the manor. They all gathered together in the study where the children had their lessons. Lady Hyuga spoke, "Everything will be okay. I know you're scared now, so if you have any questions, now is the time to ask. You are in a safe place."

None of the children said a word. Tenten just wanted to know where Neji, Hiyeri, and Hizashi were. She wanted to see them, to make sure they were going to be okay. She wanted to know if Hizashi really had deserted them.

"Kids, please," Lady Hyuga begged, "we can't do this any other time. After today, we have to forget about what happened. After today, we cannot speak of this ever again."

"Is Neji going to be okay?" Tenten asked between sobs.

Lady Hyuga looked at her sadly. "He will be. They took him to the medical wing. He will probably be in a lot of pain for the next few days, but he'll be back to normal in no time." Outside the study, servants could be heard bustling back and forth and they hurried to tend to the Elder's and other residents of the Hyuga manor.

"And Hiyeri?" Lee asked.

"She's with Neji right now. They will both stay in the hospital wing for the next few days while they recover."

"Where is Hizashi?"

"Tenten, you can't speak of him ever again."

"So he really is gone?"

"He is."

"What if he comes back?"

Lady Hyuga took a deep breath, as if to prevent herself from crying. "If he ever tries to return to the compound, the Uchiha guards will kill him on sight. I'm sorry Tenten, I know how much you love him and how hurt you must be. But Hizashi lost his faith, and losing faith can be very scary for some people and can cause them to do irrational things."

Tenten still couldn't believe this was really happening. She felt like she was in a bad dream and she would wake up any second with everything okay.

"I want to see Neji," Tenten declared.

Hiyeri looked at her sadly. "I'll have your caretaker take you to him right away."

Hiyeri stood from the table they were all gathered around and opened the door for the servants. She instructed Tenten's caretaker to escort her to the medical wing. "Please prepare her appropriately for what she might see."

The caretaker nodded to Lady Hyuga and extended her hand out for Tenten to take it. Together Tenten and her caretaker walked quietly through the Hyuga manor to the medical wing. They passed Hiashi as he was likely gathering his children and wife from the study. The caretaker bowed to him. Hiashi smiled sadly at Tenten.

They crossed the courtyard where servants were cleaning up the fire and the rod used to brand Neji. It sent a shiver down Tenten's spine and her caretaker wrapped her arm around Tenten's shoulder, keeping her close and guarded from the sight.

They reached the medical wing and Tenten right away went for the doorknob. She was pulled back by her caretaker. "Hold on Tenten, I need to talk to you before we go inside."

Tenten looked back at the door. She didn't want to hear whatever it was her caretaker had to say. She just wanted to see Neji and her foster mother.

"Honey, I need to prepare you for what you might see. You might be scared, but I promise everything will be okay. Neji's going to be in a lot of pain for a few days, and it's going to be a lot of work to care for the burn. Hiyeri will not be able to help because tomorrow morning she's having a hysterectomy and will need to recover from that. Neji is probably going to be very angry that this happened and he's going to be very sad about his father leaving. You need to be there for him okay? And be very patient with him. He might yell at you, even if you don't do anything wrong. It's just him taking out in anger. Do you understand?"

"Yes, now let me go. I just want to see them."

The caretaker stepped back and allowed Tenten to go inside.

Hiyeri perked up at the sound of the door opening and immediately opened her arms for Tenten. "Honey, are you okay? Come here."

Tenten hugged her foster mother. "I'm okay."

Hiyeri pulled back to look at Tenten and brushed her long hair out of her face. "I'm so glad they didn't hurt you too."

Tenten pulled up a chair next to Hiyeri. Neji was sleeping in the hospital bed in front of them. His head was bandaged, but Tenten could see the blood and fluids beginning the soak through the bandage. "Is he okay?"

"He was awake for a little while as they doctors bandaged his forehead and put ointment on the burn. But he's in a lot of pain, and he just experienced a trauma so he's exhausted. They give him some mild pain medication and he went right to sleep."

"I'll take care of him while you're recovering. And I'll take care of you too."

"Oh Tenten," Hiyeri sighed, taking her hand. "You don't need to do that, but thank you. Just you being here with us is enough."

"Is Hizashi really gone?" Tenten asked.

"He is," Hiyeri replied. She sounded as if she was forcing herself not to cry.

"It's okay to be sad," Tenten comforted, "I'm sad too."

As the sun set, Neji woke up, and Hiyeri returned to her room to prepare for her surgery the next morning. She kissed Neji's head, careful to avoid the burn, and whispered something to him that Tenten could quite catch. She assumed she was telling her son that she loved him. She said the same thing to Tenten and left the room.

Tenten stared into Neji's eyes and didn't say a word. He returned the gaze. Eventually he spoke. "My dad's gone."

"I know," Tenten replied, tears threatening to fall again.

She approached the hospital bed and Neji scooted over for her. She climbed up on the bed and sat shoulder to shoulder with him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She laughed. "You're the one in the hospital bed and you're asking if _I'm_ okay? I should be asking you that."

"I'm fine. It's what I deserve."

Anger flared momentarily through Tenten. And in that split second she wondered if this is really what the ancestors would want for their people and followers. Did the God she believed in really want for their followers to be branded and sterilized as punishment for another's crimes? Should leaving the community really be considered a crime? Tenten quickly pushed those thoughts away.

She laid her head on Neji's shoulder and whispered, "I love you Neji. Everything will be okay."

"Yeah." He laid her head on top on hers, and they drifted to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Tenten awoke to the sun peeking through her curtains and splaying across her face. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. Neji's arms were still wrapped tightly around her. She wiggled out of his grasp and his eyes fluttered opened.

Immediately his hand was on her forehead, checking for a fever or any sign of clamminess. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied sitting up slowly with Neji's help. "I'm kind of hungry."

Neji smiled. "I can bring you something. You should stay in bed."

"Just bring me something small. I don't want to puke again."

"Is your stomach still upset?"

She thought for a moment then replied, "No, I think the doctor was right. Just anxiety. I feel okay now."

Neji exited the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He turned down the hall and almost ran right into Lee.

"Jesus, Lee!"

Lee laughed, "Sorry, I was just coming to check on Tenten. How is she?"

They walked together to the kitchen as Neji filled Lee in on Tenten's condition. "She says she's nervous about the match ceremony."

"Must be pretty nervous if it made her throw up."

"Yeah, I don't think that's all it is."

They entered the kitchen where servants were beginning to prepare for dinner. They had slept through lunch. The cooks bowed to Neji and Lee as they crossed the room to the fridge to look for left overs. The head chef pushed passed them politely and said, "Here Lord Neji, we made up a few plates for you and Tenten."

"Thanks," Neji replied, "Tenten just wants something small. Her stomach is still bothering her."

"I see," the chef said, "bring her some rice. That should be light enough. And plenty of water of course."

"Thank you." Neji grabbed a lunch plate for himself and a bowl of rice for Tenten. Lee carried two glasses of water since Neji's hands were full.

"So you were saying you think Tenten's actually sick?" Lee began their conversation where they left off.

"I'm not sure. Tenten's not usually one to be anxious, and like you said earlier she's definitely not one to throw up because of anxiety."

"So she's lying about something?"

"I don't know about lying…maybe just leaving something out."

"Hm?" Lee mused. "I heard her get up in the middle of the night. Maybe she wasn't feeling well then either."

"She did?" Neji questioned, "How do you know that?"

"I heard her. She left her room around two and then came back probably an hour later. She ran back to her room, so maybe something happened."

"What are you saying Lee? You think somebody caught her and did something to her?"

"Well, no. I don't think anyone would hurt her for leaving her room in the middle of the night. We all do it if we can't sleep. Or if someone has a nightmare. We're all close enough to each other that someone usually hears. Maybe Tenten heard something she wasn't supposed to?"

"That's impossible. Nobody would be awake at that hour."

They reached Tenten's room and pushed the door open slowly. "No, you're probably right," Lee replied.

Tenten sat up slowly, her blankets pooling at her waist. "Hey. Thanks for bringing me some food."

Neji handed her the bowl of rice, and Lee handed her a glass of water. Lee turned on her bedroom light and they all sat together in silence while Neji and Tenten ate.

"Are you feeling any better, Tenten?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can I ask you guys something kind of strange?"

The boys looked at Tenten questioningly. Then Lee laughed, "Even if we said no, you'd still ask us anyways."

"Yeah you're right. Anyways," Tenten began, "do you really truly believe in everything we were raised to believe?"

"Where is this coming from?" Neji asked.

Tenten shrugged, "Just been thinking about it lately, I guess."

Lee thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah I believe it. Why would they tell us something that wasn't true? I might not be okay with everything, like I think that sometimes punishments can be a little extreme, but if our ancestors will it to be then I can accept it."

Tenten nodded to Lee, like she agreed with him.

Neji stared quietly at the plate in his lap, a frown evident on his face.

"Neji?" Tenten asked. "What about you?"

"Of course I believe. Everything the elders do is to keep us safe and alive. To keep the peace."

"You can't possibly believe that branding you and sterilizing your mom was to keep you safe." Tenten glared at Neji.

"Of course I do," Neji replied, "my father broke the law. He left us. Mother and I needed to answer for his crimes. Everyone else that has been punished by the anscestors have answered for their crimes as well. That's how our people survive."

Lee sat in silence awkwardly while an argument broke out between his two best friends. "Guys, this isn't the time," he tried to mediate.

Lee was ignored. Tenten's blood began to boil. After hearing what the elders had planned for their people, she couldn't believe in their way of life anymore. Not like she used to. She couldn't handle watching another couple be executed for having an affair. She couldn't watch another child be publicly branded because their parent broke a law. She couldn't sit back and let another man or woman be sterilized in punishment for their spouse's crimes. She couldn't watch anymore fourteen year olds be forced into marriage. She couldn't watch Neji marry Hinata when he was love with her. And she definitely couldn't pray another day to ancestors that willed these things to happen to people she loved.

"Neji, if you believe that than you and I better go out into the courtyard right now and ger executed by your grandfather."

"W-what are you talking about Tenten?" Lee asked with fear in his voice.

They ignored him like he wasn't there.

"Tenten stop."

"No. Neji, our people hurt you and they hurt your mother. If your father ever comes back here they're going to kill him on sight. How can you continue to believe that these things are okay?"

"Because it's what we've been taught our entire lives!"

"Guys, please stop fighting."

"Stay out of this, Lee." Neji growled.

"Well you must not believe very strongly considering we've been having sex since we were fourteen."

"YOU WHAT!?" Lee yelled.

After realizing what she had said, Tenten gasped. She looked to Lee, who was terrified. She could almost hear Neji's heart break. Her own heart pounded against her ribcage. Immediately, Neji and Tenten were both filled with guilt.

"Lee, please don't say anything about this," Neji whispered.

Lee looked back and forth between his two friends. He took Tenten's hand and she looked up to meet his gaze. He said, "Is it true?"

Tenten had said enough. She waited for Neji to answer.

"Yeah, it's true," he finally said to Lee.

"Please don't say anything," Tenten pleaded.

"Why would I say anything about this?" Lee asked. "You would both be killed if anyone found out. There's no way I can live without my two best friends."

"Thanks Lee," Tenten said.

Neji was quiet.

Then Lee said, "You can't do this anymore. They've been watching you. It's obvious."

"We know," Tenten said, "Daigo threatened Neji. We're not sure how long he's been suspicious."

"If Daigo's suspicious, then the elder's probably are too."

"And today probably made it worse. The entire village was watching us at the prayer. And my mom was there, and my aunt and uncle. I basically begged them to leave us alone. I called unnecessary attention to us. I've been here alone with Tenten for hours. It's my fault if anything happens."

"Neji stop," Tenten reached across her bedroll to grab his hand. "I'm just as equally to blame. And nobody's going to find out. We've been so careful. And Lee's not going to say anything. I'm sick and you stayed with me, this is nothing out of the ordinary. We've been doing that since we were kids. No one is going to grow suspicious."

Neji pulled his arm out of Tenten's hold. "Stop, I'm still mad at you. How could you question everything we've been raised to believe? Yeah, we broke the law, and even if the elder's don't execute us, the ancestors will find a way to punish us."

"You can't possibly believe that karma is coming for us?"

"If I don't believe in something, I'm going to go crazy. I wasn't branded for this all to be fake. Getting matched to Hinata is probably my punishment from the ancestors. I have to live with it."

Lee excused himself quietly, "This sounds like this needs to stay between the two of you. Please don't kill each other. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Tenten almost forgot that Lee was even there. Tenten stood and extended her hand to Neji to help him up. "We're being too loud. Can we go somewhere else to talk about this?"

Neji pushed her hand out of the way and stood on his own.

"How long have you been questioning the ways of our people?"

Tenten looked at the floor and shrugged. "Awhile I guess."

Neji let out a ragged breath, like he was about to cry, but was trying to be strong.

"The first time I ever questioned anything was when I came to see you in the hospital after you were branded. I was so angry and sad that part of me just couldn't believe that our ancestors would want to hurt us. And ever since then…I just can't pray anymore. I don't know who to pray for. I don't know what to pray for. I just find myself praying that nobody else will be hurt. I live in fear every day, just waiting for someone to catch us together. That's no way to live. I can't support yours and Hinata's union, especially if you're matched next month. She's only fourteen. She's a child."

"We're children."

"That's my point Neji! Why are we being forced into marriage at fourteen years old? That's fucked up. You know, and I know that the only reason you and Hinata are being matched is to get her pregnant earlier. Someone has to know about us and that's why they're doing it. They're trying to get rid of me because if you're married to someone else, then I won't be with you anymore."

"You're acting insane, Tenten! That is absolutely not happening. This conspiracy you've thought up is actually crazy." Neji grabbed Tenten by the shoulders, she was trembling. He sat her down gently. "You're a lady of the Hyuga clan. The ancestors and elders are not out to get you."

"You don't get it!" She pushed Neji off her, "Neji, I'm a nameless child. They took me in off the streets of the city to add to the population of the compound. Lee too! We mean nothing to them."

"I can't believe you right now. You're not acting like yourself. Did something happen to you last night?"

Her eyes widened at his words. "How do you know about last night?"

"Lee heard you get up in the middle of the night. He told me."

Suddenly, tears began to pour from Tenten's eyes. She was sobbing. Neji pulled her into his chest and held her and she shook violently as cried reaped their way through her body. Neji had never seen Tenten like this. He was scared. Something was happening to her and he didn't know how to help.

"It's too much," she sobbed into his chest.

"What is?" he asked her calmly. Blowing up at her again wasn't going to help her or help him get the answers he was searching for.

She cried like that for another ten minutes before finally pulling herself together. She pulled away from Neji's grasp slowly. He was hesitant to let her go. He still kept his fingers wrapped around hers.

"I need to tell you something important, and you need to promise me you won't dismiss me. I'm not lying to you, and I know you're going to have a hard time believing what I have to say, but please, I need you to believe me."

All Neji could do was nod.

"Last night I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk through the halls. The elders were having a meeting, and I overheard everything they were saying. Neji it was horrible. The things they were saying, I couldn't believe it. They were saying things about how our people were losing faith. Something about how Itachi deserting the clan going unpunished was a mistake because people stopped being afraid that their children were going to be branded. They were saying that we needed to be cleansed. Neji, they're going to kill us. All of us. They said that we needed to rejoin the ancestors."

Neji stared at her with wide eyes. Then he frowned at her. "How could you make something like that up?"

"Neji, I'm not!" Teared began to fall again.

"Tenten, stop!" He stood up fast in an attempt to get away from her. Then the memory of a conversation they had months ago came flooding back. "Are you trying to get me to leave the village with you?"

"What!? No! Neji, I'm asking for your help. We're all going to be killed by our leaders, and we need to get help! People on the outside can help us."

"No, Tenten. Stop"

"Don't you believe me? Why would I lie to you? I love you!"

"No. I don't believe you."

Neji ran out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Tenten alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

It was January and every day the eve of the match making ceremony grew closer and closer. Neji hadn't spoken a single word to Tenten since their fight. She tried to approach him many times, but he continuously blew her off. She was so distraught over everything that she was sick to her stomach almost daily. She could hardly keep food down anymore and she was beginning to visibly lose weight.

Neji worried about her. He could see that she was physically sick. He wanted to speak to her, but he was still so angry with her. He didn't trust himself to have a civil conversation. Then, Tenten stopped sitting next to him at the daily prayer. It broke his heart to not have her close to him every morning. Instead, she sat in back with the commoners. He couldn't even keep his eye on her from that far away. What if she were to get sick again? He knew that she's been getting worse.

In class, Tenten was absent more often than she was present. Lee brought her homework to her bedroom every day, and went over lessons with her. He wished it had been him that was given that task. Any excuse to spend time with her. At least, that's what Neji would have wanted before they had that horrible fight. Lee noticed Neji's concern every time he looked at Tenten's empty seat.

"Just go talk to her," he would tell him.

Neji would ignore him.

After dinner one night, Hiyeri called Neji into her room. "Come here a second. I want to talk to you about something."

Neji sighed, but followed his mother anyways. They took a seat on the loveseat she had in the corner of her bedroom and he asked, "What is it?"

"I noticed that you and Tenten haven't been spending as much time together lately. Did something happen?"

"We had a fight. I don't want to talk about it."

"Neji, Tenten is your best friend, I'm sure whatever the fight was about, you can fix it."

Neji wanted to tell his mother everything, but he couldn't. He wanted to tell her that he loved Tenten and wanted to be with her forever. He wanted to tell her that they had already been together. He wanted to tell her that he was scared because Tenten didn't believe anymore and he was afraid of what their family might do to her, and to him, if the elders found out. But he didn't say a word. He couldn't break her heart again; his father leaving them almost killed her, and if anything else were to happen to him, without a question, Hiyeri would die.

"It was a really bad fight."

"Well, since you don't want to talk about it," Hiyeri began, "I'll give you same advice. All girls want is to be told that they were right, because chances are, they probably are. Just apologize and tell her that you were wrong. You can fix the root of the problem later, this will at least get you talking again."

"Thanks."

After their talk, Neji returned to his room. He passed Tenten in the halls, she was wrapped in a sweater and holding herself to keep warm. Hinata was with her, they were talking about a book they were reading for class. Hinata greeted him then returned to her conversation. Tenten looked back to watch him a little while longer. He made it to his room, but hesitated to go inside. He heard a screen door open and then slam shut on the other side of the wing. Probably servants locking up for the night.

Neji stepped quietly outside, slipping on a pair of slippers left by the door, and his jacket that was hung up in the hall closet. He took a seat on the porch a looked up at the stars. The match ceremony was going to be in a few days and after the wedding, he and Hinata would be moving into their own wing. The thought of it made him cringe. How could he touch Hinata the way he touched Tenten?

The door slid open and he glanced behind him. Tenten's eyes were wide.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I thought you were in your room. I'll go back inside."

"No!" he called after her. "I mean…its fine. You can sit."

She took him up on his offer, but didn't say anything. She shivered and he almost gave her his jacket, but he couldn't bring himself to make the first move to apologize.

Instead, he said, "you've been sick."

"Yeah," Tenten replied.

"You shouldn't be out here too long then, you'll make yourself worse."

"It's not that kind of sick," she replied.

 _Oh. Right. I broke her heart._

That was all that was said between the two of them, but it was enough for Tenten to come back to class. She still didn't look well. Her eyes were still dark, and her cheeks still hollow. She still wrapped herself in too many sweaters, and she was still losing weight.

He wanted to ask an adult how they didn't see that she was sick. It was obvious to him, how could anyone not see it? Something was seriously wrong and nobody was doing anything about it.

"She's sad," Lee told him when he asked if he had noticed it.

"Yeah, but-"

"She's going to be sad for a long time Neji, you're marrying Hinata in three days."

"She's probably getting married too."

"Not to you."

Neji wanted to kick himself. But there was nothing he could do. The match ceremony was their biggest and most sacred tradition and nobody questioned it. If the elders and ancestors believed that he and Hinata were meant to be together, then he believed it too. And Tenten was questioning everything they were ever taught. He couldn't be with someone that didn't believe. He would probably have to say goodbye to Tenten one day if this kept up. The same way he was forced to say goodbye to his father forever. One day she'll disappear and he'll never be allowed to speak of her again.

Tenten was getting worse as the days went on. She was so sick. Everyday she'd be hunched over the toilet, throwing up everything she had tried to eat in the last twenty-four hours. She was just depressed. There was no other explanation for why she had visibly lost so much weight in the last three weeks.

She was freezing all the time. Shivering no matter how many sweaters or blankets she'd wrap herself in. Neji was worried about her, she could tell. But nobody said anything about it. Not Hiyeri, not her caretaker, not a single servant or elder. It was like they were just waiting for her to die. Sometimes _she_ felt like she was just waiting to die. Two days and they'd all be dead anyways.

"Fuck," Tenten whispered to herself. _I can't just let this happen._

She forced herself to eat something. The chefs were absent from the kitchen, so she snuck out a few items of food that had yet to be prepared. A few raw vegetables, a can of beans, an orange, and some crackers in case she wasn't able to keep any of it down.

One day until the match ceremony. Tenten woke up on the eve of the match ceremony with a new found motivation to do something. She wasn't exactly sure what she needed to do yet, but she knew that she somehow needed to get outside the walls. It would be easy to find an opening, she thought. Nobody would be paying any attention to her because everyone and their grandmother would be busy preparing for the ceremony and then the wedding.

She convinced Lee to walk the perimeter of the village with her so she could silently find a way to sneak out without anyone noticing she was gone. She munched on the crackers she had snuck into her room the day before while Lee talked about how excited he was to find out who he'd be marrying. Tenten participated in the conversation the best she could.

"Ko hasn't been matched yet. He'll probably be my husband tomorrow."

"I never thought of that, but you're right. He'd be a good match for you. Sorry, I know you're still sad about Neji."

"Yeah, I am."

By the time they made it back to the entrance of the Hyuga manor, the sun was setting. She was running out of time.

"Lee, I need your help with something, and you're either going to freak out, or you're not going to believe anything I have to say, but I need you to listen to me and I need you to believe me."

"Of course Tenten. You're not a liar, there's nothing you can tell me that I wouldn't believe."

Tenten started from the beginning: from what she overheard the elders saying all the way to the end of her and Neji's fight. "The elders are planning on killing all of us. I don't know how, but I know it's going to be during prayer. There's not going to be a match ceremony because we're all going to be dead. I need to get out and get help from the real police. Please Lee, please believe me."

Lee stared at her for what felt like hours. She just wanted him to respond.

Finally he said, "Tenten, are you okay? I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. The ancestors love us. The Elder's would never defy them like that."

"Lee please," she begged. Tears welling in her eyes again. "I'm not lying. This is what Neji and I fought about. He didn't believe me either. Please, I just need your help. I need someone to believe me!"

Lee stared at her as she collapsed to the ground, sobbing into the snow. He knelt down beside her. "Tenten…"

"They said we need to be cleansed. That we need to rejoin the ancestors because our people are losing faith. Lee, this is…we're all going to die…I can't lose anyone else I love. Especially you, Neji, and Hiyeri. Lee, I will lose it!"

He helped her back up to her feet and pulled her into a hug. This was too much. This was insane. Lee couldn't possibly believe anything that she was saying, but a part of him knew that she was telling the truth. If the elders were willing to execute children for having an affair, and branding the royal son in front of the entire village, and sterilizing one of the Ladies of the Hyuga Clan, then why would killing everyone at once be any different?

"I believe you," he whispered.

She stared at him in shock. "You do!?"

"Yeah…tell me what you need me to do."

That night, after everyone turned in for the night, Lee met Tenten outside behind the manor. It was cold. Tenten had on only her white nightgown, a sweater, and a pair of slippers. She couldn't take anything or someone would notice she was gone.

"Please be careful, Tenten."

"I will."

Lee helped Tenten up to a high branch of a tree where she could climb up to a good foothold on the wall that kept them inside the compound. The wall was high and Tenten was weak from being sick the last couple weeks. But she needed to get out and get help. Her life, and everyone else's lives depended on it.

She finally reached the top of the fence. She took one last look at Lee. He yelled up to her as quietly as he could, "I'll cover for you. Please be careful. And be quick, remember we'll be gathering for prayer at 6am, after the sun rises since tomorrow is the match ceremony."

Tenten nodded to him and yelled back down, also as quietly as she could, "Thank you Lee."

She swung her leg over the other side of the wall and scaled down one of the metal rods reinforcing the weight of the fence. She touched down and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked around quickly and realized that she had no idea where to go. She was surrounded by trees, with no road, or light in sight. She trusted her instincts and went forward, avoiding the wall at all costs. If she was caught, she'd be dead and so would everyone else. She took one look back at the wall and nodded toward it. _Goodbye._ She would never step foot in there again.

She ran as fast as she could through the trees then came to a lit road. It was quiet. No cars. But she could see the city from where she stood. She was still afraid of being seen, so she kept herself hidden the best she could. She was freezing. But she couldn't think about that. As she approached the city, she took off in a run once again. Houses lined the streets. Cars zoomed slowly by, no doubt trying to make it home from a late night. Eventually she came to an intersection where lights flashed yellow on one street, and red on the intersecting road.

There was an old woman sitting on a small flight of stairs under the light of a large brick building. She was wrapped head to toe in scarves, and wearing at least two winter coats. She coughed loudly, then groaned into her shoulder. A dog next to her was tied to the railing of the stairs and her leg rested on a cart filled with things Tenten had never seen before.

She approached the woman slowly, in case she was asleep.

"Excuse me," Tenten said quietly. "Where are the police?"

The woman grunted, but didn't look at her.

Tenten tried again, "please, I need help. Where do I find police?"

The woman blinked up at her and replied, "West 6th street."

"Thank you," Tenten bowed to the woman and took off down the street. She was immediately thankful that she knew how to find North, South, East and West by looking at the stars. _Thank ancestors for all the times Neji made me look at the stars with him._ She found West 3rd street and followed the numbers on the signs until she finally found 6th. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had seen pictures of police cars in books, so she had an idea of what she was looking for. She walked up the street for quite a while, making sure to read every sign on every door so she wouldn't miss the police.

Ten feet ahead of her she finally saw it. A police car. It was parked, and nobody was inside. She peered in the car window to make sure it was empty. She turned around. The car was parking in front of a large building with large windows. She peered inside and could see displays of food. _A market._ She checked both the building next to the market as well. No lights. No police. She was running out of time and she was becoming afraid. There were strange people in the city and strange buildings and strange cars and strange lights that hung above her head. She crossed the street to avoid a couple taking their baby for a late night stroll. The building she stopped at had a large sign above her. It read: _Konoha Police Station._

Tenten breathed a sigh of relief and went inside.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Tsunade was able to check Tenten out of the hospital for a few hours because of an "ongoing investigation" with the promise to return her to the hospital as soon as they were finished with her. Overall, Tenten was fine, however the doctor still wanted to make sure that she would stay fine. Her doctor also had concerns of Tenten's psychological state, which she mentioned to Hizashi, who had papers to prove that he was Tenten's legal guardian.

"I'm surprised you had Tenten's birth certificate," Tsunade said while she, Hizashi, and Tenten made their way down to the hospital's lobby.

"And her adoption certificate. I took them, Neji's birth certificate, and my marriage certificate with me when I left the compound just in case I'd ever have to prove legality in the real world."

"That was very smart."

The three of them stepped off the elevator and followed the hallways to the emergency room waiting area where they had come in. Itachi Uchiha was waiting for them. He was as handsome as Tenten remembered, even more so now that he was a few years older. His hair was longer, which Tenten always found attractive on men, which was probably why she thought both Neji and Itachi were so attractive.

"Itachi," Tsunade said extending her hand to him, "thank you for meeting us here."

"Of course," he said. "Hizashi, glad to see you. And Tenten, it's good to see you again, am I correct to assume that you were the anonymous source that tipped off the detectives?"

"She is," Tsunade answered for her. "She's been through a lot, I'm assuming Minato filled you in on everything?"

"Yes, he did."

"Good, you're driving?"

"Car's out front," Itachi replied.

"Itachi's been an informant for us ever since leaving the compound. Hizashi too," Tsunade explained. "And Itachi has also been pursuing a criminal justice degree, so once he graduates, hopefully he'll be working for me."

"Only 2 more years Tsunade."

They crossed the parking lot. Tenten still didn't have a coat, but the hospital found her some shoes to wear. Hizashi took off his coat and wrapped it around Tenten's shoulders when he noticed her shivering. They made it to Itachi's car. Tenten stopped like she wasn't sure what to do.

"Allow me," Hizashi said opening the door and motioning for Tenten to slide in. Hizashi slid in next to her and closed the car door. He reached across her to grab the seatbelt and buckle her in. "For safety."

"I've only ever seen pictures of cars before. And a few on the street when I was walking to the police station."

"Tenten, you've been so brave and so strong," Tsunade said, "this is going to be hard, but once we arrive, I need you to stay put. The only reason the three of you are even being allowed at the raid is to convince the civilians that the outside is safe and that they are in good hands. We're going to need to build a lot of trust with the survivors."

"My brother's in there," Itachi said, "and my parents. I need them to be okay."

"Minato texted. The S.W.A.T. team was already able to infiltrate the facility. They're working on arresting the leaders and securing civilians. So far, no reports of casualties, but its early."

Tenten felt her fear in every inch of her body. Her hands shook. Her hair stood on end. Her heart raced. Her stomach dropped. Hizashi noticed her unease and took her hand.

"I'm scared too," he told her, "but this team of detectives are so good at their job and I promise you we're in good hands."

That made her feel a little better. But she still felt like she couldn't catch her breath.

"Tenten," Itachi said, "how is Sasuke?"

She looked up to meet Itachi's eyes in the rearview mirror. "He's really good. He was matched to Sakura Haruno about a year ago. She's pregnant. Due in April. I've never seen two people so in love before. He's happy I think."

Itachi's grip tightened on the steering wheel at the news of his fifteen year old brother's marriage and unborn child. But his grip quickly loosened. "It makes me sick that the elders forced them into marriage at fifteen, but I'm happy that he's finally happy after so many years of anger." He was quiet for a moment, but then started again, "Sakura Haruno huh? I always liked her. She was very sweet."

"Sasuke was really angry when you left," Tenten told him, "which I think is the real reason they matched him and Sakura early. The elders made up some feud between the Uchiha family and the Haruno family—said that was the reason for the early match—to hopefully solve any issues between them. But it never made sense to me, or anyone for that matter, because Mikoto—your mom was always friends with Sakura's mother. Ssakura and Sasuke grew up together. They were friends."

"It makes sense…Sasuke was always a bit of a troublemaker," Itachi said, "They probably thought that matching him would chill him out. And if he was as angry as you said he was when I left, then of course they'd force a marriage."

"Nothing changes a man more than giving him a family," Hizashi added.

"Do you know if they're having a girl or a boy?" Itachi asked Tenten.

"A girl I think."

It was quiet for the rest of the ride to the outskirts of the city. It was a forty minute drive from the hospital to the compound. Tenten wasn't sure what to believe anymore, but regardless of whether her teachings were real or fake, she closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer up to the ancestors. In this moment, praying made her feel better.

"Can I pray with you?" Hizashi whispered to her.

"Please," Tenten replied.

He squeezed her hand and together they prayed silently. _Please let them be okay. Please protect Neji, Lee, Hiyeri, Hinata, Hababi, Sasuke, Sakura, and all my friends, and all the villagers. Please keep the children safe. Please don't let anyone buy into the elders' words. Please let them feel like they're in danger. Please don't let anyone die. Please. Please I can't be alone. I can't lose anyone else._

 _Neji is the love of my life. If anything else happens to him, I will die. I'll never forgive you if you let him die. I'll never pray again. I'll never believe in the ancestors ever again. If he's dead…If Lee is dead…If Hiyeri is dead…I will throw my life away. I will kill myself. I'll walk in front of a car. I'll hang myself. Anything to spite you. Anything to get back at you for what you've taken from me._

She cursed the ancestors and the elders in her prayer. She opened her eyes as she felt something wet drip onto her hand. She was crying. Hizashi noticed and pulled her into him. He held her tight as Itachi pulled up to the police tape set up around the property.

Lights flashed all around them. Tenten looked up when she heard the sound of a siren—a huge red truck was pulling away at lighting fast speed and headed in the direction of the hospital. There were people in uniform everywhere. Tsunade flashed her badge to an officer patrolling the outside and allowed the car through. Itachi parked his car when he saw Minato wave at him. They got out of the car and he handed Tsunade a bulletproof vest. She put it on and joined Kakashi further away.

"Stay here," Minata told them, "we're about to get word from the S.W.A.T. captain."

Hizashi, Tenten, and Itachi waited patiently. Then, there was a loud bang. And then another bang, and another and another. Gun shots. Then officers from every direction were running inside the compound, and civilians were running out. There were screams as officers tried to intercept civilians and take them to safety.

Itachi grabbed onto Tenten, "don't move," he told her. "We have to stay put. I know you want to help, but you'll only get in their way."

Another rapid fire sounded in the distance. More and more people came running out of the compound. Tenten twisted free of Itachi's grasp and took off. He needed her. Neji was in danger.


End file.
